Somalia (1945-1990) From Colonization to Dictatorship
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A map of Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland
Independence
After World War II came to an end, a 1947 peace treaty called for Italy to release the land that they controlled to the United Nations. The UN decided that they would let Italy take control of Italian Somaliland for 10 years. After this time was up, the Somalis would be free to rule themselves any way that they wish. Great Britain made this same agreement to relinquish British Somaliland. On July 1st 1960, Italian Somaliland was given independence. They immediately combine with British Somaliland who had been given independence from Great Britain just a few days before. They came together and formed Somalia. (abc-clio)
Leadership
Now that Somalia was independent from it's European colonists, they formed a democracy. They elected Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as their first president. Then about a year later, that first president was voted out of office. He was replaced by Abdirashid Ali Shermarke in 1967 (abc-clio). Shermarke was the new people's favorite. The fact that the Somali people chose another leader peacefully was a huge mark of a successful democracy. Unfortunately, this wasn't so. Shermarke was assassinated in 1969. A group of military officers took control of the government. Their leader was Major General Mohamed Siad Barre who became the new ruler of the country. He became the dictator of Somalia. He made Somalia a smart, tough socialist state. He normalized it's economy. During the Cold War time period, Siad Barre allied Somalia with the Soviet Union. Siad Barre was a very skilled manipulator and he wouldn't hesitate to stop rival parties whether it be with money or force.
Mohamed Siad Barre
War with Ethiopia
Somalia had a border dispute with Ethiopia in 1977. Ethnic Somalians who were living within the Ogaden territory within Ethiopia decided that they wanted to liberate themselves from the current oppression. Rebels began to fight against the Ethiopian government. Siad Barre provided weaponry and other support to these troops in order to help with the war effort. He wanted to conquer the Ogaden territory as much as as the rebels did. The war was fought more conventionally. It was a war where armored infantry and the air force were vital for victory rather than guerrilla warfare that African battles often were fought with (country-data). Then, to the Somalis' surprise, the Soviet Union who had previously been allied with them had switched alliances and were now supporting Ethiopia. In 1978, with the help of the Soviet Union and Cuba, Ethiopian troops demolished the Somali military and took back the Ogaden territory. As time wen ton, the war became harder and harder for the Somalis to win. The conditions continued to get worse. Around 1 million Somali refugees were forced to retreat back to Somalia from the now Ethiopian controlled Ogaden territory. About 2 million citizens were left homeless (abc-clio). Somalia then began to receive financial aid from the United States. In 1988, Siad Barre signed a peace treaty with Ethiopian leaders to end the war. This marked the end of one conflict and the beginning of another.
An Ethiopian Tank during the war
Civil War
The adversary towards Siad Barre began when he fired members of the Somali government just because they were members of a different clan in 1981. He then hired members of his own clan to fill the positions. This is very clearly corrupt and many Somali citizens saw this. This single action raised the biggest opposition to Siad Barre's rule since it began. Many rival clans living within Somalia protested him and his cruel regime. They formed the Somali National Movement. Armed fighting took place between the two sides in 1982. In 1987, Siad Barre was reelected as president of Somalia. Angered by this, rival clans demanded that he step down from power and end his tyrannical rule (abc-clio). He tried to appease the rebels by adding a multiparty system into the government but the damage was already done. The revolution was already underway. Since he couldn't work with them, he decided to crush them instead.
The Affects of a Global and Interdependent World
Somalia has fallen victim to a new world of globalization and interdependence. Since the beginning of the nation itself, it has always had interaction with other countries. It began with being occupied by the European nations, Great Britain and Italy, but it has since progressed into something more. During the Cold War era, Somalia had allied itself with the Soviet Union. The Soviets assisted them when they needed it and eventually, Somalia cam to rely on them for support. When the war with Ethiopia came around, Somalia was abandoned. The Soviet Union left them and started to support the enemy instead. Based on the results from the rest of the war, it's easy to tell that Somalia relied heavily on the Soviets. Not only did they almost lose the war, but they also lost a large portion of their military. This is all because they were so dependent on other countries for support that when they had to stand on their own, they couldn't and they suffered for it.
From Colonization to Dictatorship
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Independence
After World War II came to an end, a 1947 peace treaty called for Italy to release the land that they controlled to the United Nations. The UN decided that they would let Italy take control of Italian Somaliland for 10 years. After this time was up, the Somalis would be free to rule themselves any way that they wish. Great Britain made this same agreement to relinquish British Somaliland. On July 1st 1960, Italian Somaliland was given independence. They immediately combine with British Somaliland who had been given independence from Great Britain just a few days before. They came together and formed Somalia. (abc-clio)Leadership
Now that Somalia was independent from it's European colonists, they formed a democracy. They elected Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as their first president. Then about a year later, that first president was voted out of office. He was replaced by Abdirashid Ali Shermarke in 1967 (abc-clio). Shermarke was the new people's favorite. The fact that the Somali people chose another leader peacefully was a huge mark of a successful democracy. Unfortunately, this wasn't so. Shermarke was assassinated in 1969. A group of military officers took control of the government. Their leader was Major General Mohamed Siad Barre who became the new ruler of the country. He became the dictator of Somalia. He made Somalia a smart, tough socialist state. He normalized it's economy. During the Cold War time period, Siad Barre allied Somalia with the Soviet Union. Siad Barre was a very skilled manipulator and he wouldn't hesitate to stop rival parties whether it be with money or force.War with Ethiopia
Somalia had a border dispute with Ethiopia in 1977. Ethnic Somalians who were living within the Ogaden territory within Ethiopia decided that they wanted to liberate themselves from the current oppression. Rebels began to fight against the Ethiopian government. Siad Barre provided weaponry and other support to these troops in order to help with the war effort. He wanted to conquer the Ogaden territory as much as as the rebels did. The war was fought more conventionally. It was a war where armored infantry and the air force were vital for victory rather than guerrilla warfare that African battles often were fought with (country-data). Then, to the Somalis' surprise, the Soviet Union who had previously been allied with them had switched alliances and were now supporting Ethiopia. In 1978, with the help of the Soviet Union and Cuba, Ethiopian troops demolished the Somali military and took back the Ogaden territory. As time wen ton, the war became harder and harder for the Somalis to win. The conditions continued to get worse. Around 1 million Somali refugees were forced to retreat back to Somalia from the now Ethiopian controlled Ogaden territory. About 2 million citizens were left homeless (abc-clio). Somalia then began to receive financial aid from the United States. In 1988, Siad Barre signed a peace treaty with Ethiopian leaders to end the war. This marked the end of one conflict and the beginning of another.Civil War
The adversary towards Siad Barre began when he fired members of the Somali government just because they were members of a different clan in 1981. He then hired members of his own clan to fill the positions. This is very clearly corrupt and many Somali citizens saw this. This single action raised the biggest opposition to Siad Barre's rule since it began. Many rival clans living within Somalia protested him and his cruel regime. They formed the Somali National Movement. Armed fighting took place between the two sides in 1982. In 1987, Siad Barre was reelected as president of Somalia. Angered by this, rival clans demanded that he step down from power and end his tyrannical rule (abc-clio). He tried to appease the rebels by adding a multiparty system into the government but the damage was already done. The revolution was already underway. Since he couldn't work with them, he decided to crush them instead.The Affects of a Global and Interdependent World
Somalia has fallen victim to a new world of globalization and interdependence. Since the beginning of the nation itself, it has always had interaction with other countries. It began with being occupied by the European nations, Great Britain and Italy, but it has since progressed into something more. During the Cold War era, Somalia had allied itself with the Soviet Union. The Soviets assisted them when they needed it and eventually, Somalia cam to rely on them for support. When the war with Ethiopia came around, Somalia was abandoned. The Soviet Union left them and started to support the enemy instead. Based on the results from the rest of the war, it's easy to tell that Somalia relied heavily on the Soviets. Not only did they almost lose the war, but they also lost a large portion of their military. This is all because they were so dependent on other countries for support that when they had to stand on their own, they couldn't and they suffered for it.By Eli Hason